Wall-joint for safe or vault construction



WALL JOINT` FOR SAFE 0R VAULT CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1918.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

n msm' I W. F. POTTS.

WALL JOINT FIOR SAFE 0R VAULT CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. Isls.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. l\-

7456; Af/iq l l I I UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER FISHER POTTS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, 4ASSIG'N'OR TO JOHN l LYMAN HAWES, 0F NEW YORK, `N. Y.

WALL-JOINT FOR SAFE OR- VAULT -CONSTRUCTION.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1s, 1921.

To all lwhom t 'may cof/teem.'

Be it known that I, WALTER FISHER PoTTs, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Im rovements in `Wall- Joints for Safe or Viault Construction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to safe or lvault construction, and consists of certain improvements in the method of construction and thel means for securing in locked position the sections or plaies of safes, vaults and other similar structures, more particularly structures of the types that are built in place, Which serve as the inner lining for the `ouiltup structures of metal or masonry, or both,

eitherbrickwork or concrete, as the case may be.

My invention is highly valuable for use in connection with plates of steel, manganese, and-variously alloyed metals of the` type which are practically non-machinable and non-burnable, and while my invention is particularly applicable to plates of this character, it may be equally well employed in connection with any plates employed for the same purpose and which may be of av metal, or an'alloy of metals, which may be machined or worked by the usual metal-l working tools. u

The important object of my 1nvention 1s to provide an improved construction for the joints employed in the building of safes or vaults whereby the same will, to a maximum 1 degree, be proof against attack at the joints from the exterior by means of wedges or explosives. In addition, my improved joint is of such a character that it will reduce the liability of sag or deflection of the plates with which it is used to a minimum and likewise form an even, uniform interior surface; eliminating all protruding parts which have been more or less common in former constructions.

These an (other features of my invention are more f illy described hereinafter, refer ence being had to the accompanying draw in s, in which:

igure 1, illustrates, more or less diagrammatically, a cross sectlonal .vlew of a vault or safe equipped with llning plates and securing means therefor embodying my invention.

'Fig 2, is a similar view illustrating aceive keys.

modified plate constructionwithin the scope.

of my invention.

Figs. 3 and 4, `are sectional views on an.

enlarged scale of the plates illustrated in Figs.. l and 2, and

`1gs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, are views illustrating istruction forming the subject of my invenion.

In many constructions heretofore employedm building safes, vaults and the like, the lmlng and other plates or sections have been joined together kby various forms of joints having protruding lugs, and such parts have been secured together by means of wedges, screws, links, or straps coperating with such lugs. 1

In my improved construction, the meeting edges of the sections have flanged and beveled portions at each end so as to interlock with each other, with mortises or recesses formed on the inner face at the meeting por- .60 in detail one form of key or locking member which may be used with the plate con,-4

tions of the respective plates adapted. to re-A i In the present instance, these keys have an enlargement orA dovetail at each end deslgned to fit mortlses or recesses on the inner faces of the meeting portions of 'i the plates. equal to the depth of the mortises or recesses so that when finally set in place, the surface of the key will be flush withthe surface of the plates forming the joint.

By this construction, I secure an absolute metal-to-metal joint, thereby insuring uniform strength in the construction of the sections or plates and their joints. It will be understood that the keys may be driven or mortised into the parts to be joined, either hot or cold. If the keys are inserted cold, slots may be provided at the extreme ends into which thin wedges may be driven after the keys are in position, thus imparting greater expansion to the ends of the keys and likewise tending to draw the sections more rigidly together at the joints.

In F ig. 1, I have shown a safe or vault lining in which the plates 1 are of the same .thickness throughout their area. At each joint, the edges of the plates are provided with recesses 2 and 3. At one end, the walls 2aL and 2b of the recess 2 are at an angle with respect to each other and both diagonally with respect to the main surface of the plate,

These keys are of a thickness while atl the other end the walls 3 and 3* are at an a-ngle. with respect to each other, only the wall 3 is diagonally disposed; the wall 3 ol such plate. being disposed substantially at right angles to the surface oi the same. Each edge of the plate provides a projecting portion; one' being indicated at 4 with a beveled end wall l, while. the. other is indicated at 5 with a squared end wall 5. When the plates are fitted together, the projection Jr lits the recess 2, while the projection 5 lits the recess 3. The construetion and arrangement is such that while the ends oi each plate differ in shape, they cooperate and register properly with adjoining plates.

At the point where the right-angled end surfaces 3 and 5 of the adjoining plates meet each other-in other words the joint on the inner face of the platesmortises or recesses 6 are formed; dovetail in contour preferably, although other shapes having enlarged ends may be employed. These mortises or recesses are adapted to receive keys 7, which may have dovetail ends, or ends otherwise shaped and capable of performing the saine function; solne of which forms of keys, within the scope of my invention, are shown in the drawings. hese keys taper slightly at the central portion of 4 the body, as clearly illustrated at S in Figs.

5 and 7, so that when driven home they will tend to wedge in place and at the same time draw the plates l together. If desired, the ends of the key may be slotted as indicated at 9 to receive wedges l0 of the shape shown in Fig. 8, which wedges may be driven in place after said keys have been set fiush with the plates which they serve to join together.

While I have vshown keys with squared ends or ends at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the same at 7 and 7, it will be understood that keys 7b and 7c having wedge-shaped of rounded ends might be employed, and keys having any other shaped ends and capable of performing the desired function are within the scope ot my invention; several forms ot' such keys being shown in the drawings.

In Fig. 2, l have illustrated plates l of a lighten type than those illustrated at 1 in Fig. l` but in which the joint is of the same character: the thickness ot' the plate being increased adjacent the joint as indicated at l" and 1l in order that such joint may be of the same type as that illustrated in Flg. l.

It will be understood that any form of plates made with end joining portions of the types illustrated may be employed, andv -be covered by the appended claim.

I claim:

In safe or vault construction, the combination of a pair of plates, each having recessed edges oppositely disposed With respect to each other; the recessing of said edges providing projecting portions paralleling said recesses and the recess of one plate having a wall diagonally disposed with respect to the main surface thereof while the recess of the other plate has a wall at right angles to the main surface of the plate; said plates having on one surface adjacent the meeting walls lying at right angles to the main surface thereof registering recesses whose cross Sectional width is least at the meeting edges, and retaining members fitting said surface recesses for maintaining their plates with their projecting edges in interlocking engagement.

WALTER FISHER POTTS. 

